Saving Raylien
by KayKayRoads
Summary: Ashley never existed, instead, the President's daughter is Raylien. She's stubborn, bad-mouthed, and yet somehow so sweet. Unlike Ashley, she's determined to get a gun and use it. She doesn't like following rules, and evolves from an angry, unsure child, into a woman. - Leon x OC. In-game plot, my twist. All rights to Capcom. Nothing is mine except Raylien!
1. Rescued & Escape

**Saving Raylien**

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Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form do I own Resident Evil 4, Leon, or any other character in this fan-fiction other than Raylien. All rights belong to the respectful owners. I write this for fun and to get the inner fan-girl out of me.

Side-note: Raylien, if you can't notice, is Ashley. I made her appearance and personality different from Ashley's, and although I will try to follow the main dialouge and whatnot, there will be scenes from my mind and not just the game. I will make most of it (hopefully) along the lines of the game, but some of it (maybe even more than 'some') will come from my mind. I know this game is old, and for anyone who actually reads this: thank you! *throws roses*

**Side-side-note: I know the first chapter has no paragraphs. I've no idea how to fix it, trust me, I've tried a million times! The rest of them are paragraphed, though. Sorry for this one being... broken.**

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**Rescued & Escape**

When he first came to her, her first reaction was to throw whatever she could to distract him and run past. Escape. However, that isn't exactly how it went.

"What do you want from me?!" it was a rhetorical question, of course, as she threw the shattered barrel piece with all of her strength at his face. She charged forward just as he swatted it out of the air, turning to her with an unreadable expression just as her hands were going to plant onto his chest and shove him back. Raylien never got the opportunity to do just that, as he instantly grasped her wrists and pushed her back without knocking her over, rendering her action pointless. With an anguished cry, she ripped herself free from his grip and stumbled back from her own force, falling back onto her own rear. A whimper bubbled past her lips as he stepped forward, one hand stretching out as he crouched to his knees.

"Calm down, Raylien," the man said- the use of her name on the stranger's lips shocking her- "I'm Leon. I'm under the president's order to rescue you."  
Relief racked through her so hot, so sudden, so complete that she saw spots- however, who was she to believe a stranger? Drawing her knees closer to her, Raylien attempted to make herself as small a target as possible.

"What? My... father?" she asked in a soft voice, her fern green eyes meeting Leon's soft yet determined blue gaze.

"Yes. Look," he reached in his back pocket and Raylien flinched as his hand grazed the gun in his holster, before flashing her his badge. "Now, I have to get you out of here. C'mon, with me." She swallowed down a relieved gasp and, still untrusting but believing he was her only chance, she reached out to his outstretched hand. Leon helped her stand, giving her support as she wobbled lightly in relief.

"Thank you," Raylien whispered to him, flattening out her plaid blue and purple skirt. The white blouse that buttoned up to her neck was adorned with a matching blue sash tied loosely around her neck. Her long brunette hair was pulled into a side-braid that carried down to the bottom of her chest, and her green eyes turned to study Leon though she had no chance as he grasped her wrist and tugged her towards the exit of the room.

He paused, though, and she stepped on her own foot to escape treading onto him. Leon pulled out a phone- or at least; something that resembled it- and spoke to a darker skinned lady on the screen. She didn't listen, the blood that was pounding in her brain so over-whelming she couldn't listen if she tried. Raylien was being rescued. Now, she took opportunity to study his back. He was lean and muscled, with grenades strapped to him and guns pushed into their holsters. He had dark clothes with black combat boots, the only thing light about him was his dirty blonde hair and blue eyes.

He was quite the looker, honestly, which was usually unlike most bodyguards and... secret service people.

After putting the device back into a pocket on his hip, Leon turned towards her and nodded, leaving the room after scanning for useful items. "Are you alright?" he asked her while he walked down the hallway, the handgun he used poised before him. She followed right behind him, glancing cautiously over her back seldomly.

"I'm fine," Raylien replied in a hushed tone, not wanting to disturb him. "...are you?" she asked after a moment of hesitation.

He was stunned, honestly, stilling in his spot for only a second before shaking off his shock and continuing forward. "Alright," Leon responded in a winded voice, the concern for his own being a shocker to him.

Pressing a finger to his lips for her silence, Leon turned back to the ladder and leapt down, knees buckling under the impact as he hit the ground. Raylien let out a gasp as he hit the ground, one hand against her lips in shock. He... oh, who was she kidding? He was an agent, of course he wouldn't waste time climbing down a stupid ladder. However; Raylien was no agent, and as she turned to lower herself down the ladder, she heard him hiss up at her. Looking down, she was shocked to see him with his arms held out to catch her.

He expected her to... jump? Was he crazy?! Her eyes widened and she shook her head quickly, but Leon scowled and maneuvered his arms forward, ushering her. "No time!" he whisper-hissed.

With trembling hands, Raylien pushed herself away from the ladder, yelping a tiny bit as she fell. Oh, God- she was going to hit the ground. Her heart hammered as the wind fell behind her, limbs flailing only for a second before she came to an abrupt, soft stop in Leon's arms. She looked up at him with amazed, scared green eyes and he grinned at her expression.

"It would've taken less time for me to climb down," she growled as he set her down, unfolding her legs as she touched the ground from her former bridal style.

"Next time, trust me," he whispered back harshly, then pressed his finger to his lips again and turned away from her, redrawing his gun as he jogged away. Raylien puffed out her breath, secret agent or no, it'd take her a while to trust him. He could've stolen the badge, could've been sent her to kidnap her from her kidnappers.

Well, it made sense in her head, absurd as it was.

Realizing she was alone, Raylien instantly sprinted down the hall and behind him. He sent a reassuring grin back to her and walked out from the cover of the wall.

Instantly, a voice invaded the silence; one too familiar and too scary. She instantly stilled and looked at it's owner.

"I'll take the girl," Saddler sneered and she swallowed a scream, stepping behind Leon.

"Who are you?" Leon snapped, instantly spinning towards the threat, his gun pointed at the purple-cloaked man. If you would consider it a man any longer.  
"If you must know," he drawled, "my name is Osmund Saddler, the master of this fine... religious community."

"What do you want?" Leon growled, defensively blocking Raylien, a scowl pinching his eyebrows together.

"To demonstrate to the whole world our astounding power, of course. No longer will the United States think they can police the world forever. So, we, ehhh, kidnapped the President's daughter," at the mention of herself, Raylien quaked in fear behind Leon, who instantly lifted a toned arm to deflect- as if he actually could- the words from her, "in order to give her our power and then... send her back."

The words seemed to dawn a foggy memory inside her and she gasped out, "No!" as she turned her eyes to Leon, suddenly less fearful in the face of her realization. "Leon, I think they shot something in my neck," she stated, bringing a hand to her neck. The memory crashed down onto her like a bucket of ice water: She was strapped to the chair, as if she was actually able to resist or escape in her unconscious state. The needle had glown with purple contents as it tauntingly neared her soft, vulnerable flesh. All she saw as blackness, and as the stabbing needle penetrated her neck, all she felt was pain. Then nothing.

"What did you do to her?!" Leon growled, his voice so low and scratchy it reminded her of metal on bare rock.

"We just planted her a little... gift. Oh, there's going to be one hell of a party when she returns home to her loving father!" A coarse, insane giggling laugh erupted from his lips and he lightly tilted his head backwards. "Buuuut, before that, I thought I might bargain with the president for some... donations. Believe it or not: it takes quite a bit of money to keep this church up and running."

"Faith and money will get you no where, Saddler," Leon spat in retort.

"Oh, I believe I forgot to tell you: I gave you a gift, too," Saddler replied, brushing off the insult, grinning a demonic grin at the handsome lad.  
"While I was unconscious..." Leon trailed off at the thought, lips tightening in rage.

"Oh, I truly hope you like our small, but special contribution. When the eggs hatch, you will become my puppets. Involuntarily, you will do as I say. I'll have total control over your minds. Don't you think this is a revolutionary way to... win someone's faith?"

"More like an alien invasion if you ask me!" Leon snarled. Raylien stood behind him by a few feet, arms crossed before her chest, head lowered when the door busted in behind them. Armed men, cloaked in black, stepped into the room, twin crossbows held before them, both trained onto Leon.

Instantly, the agent spun back to Raylien, his fingers a vice on her wrist while he started off on a sprint, leaving her to fall and stumble after him. She quickly gathered herself, running as quickly as she could after him... into a dead end. Leon didn't seem phased, but just as she began to slow down to question, twin arrows lit up with fire dug into the wall behind her back. She squeaked and instantly picked up speed to nowhere.

"Jump!" Leon demanded, throwing himself out the window. Glass shattered around them both as she mindlessly followed his order, not even realizing how insane this was as she flung herself out of the window. The ground rushed up under them and she grunted as she hit the ground, collapsing just as Leon picked himself up.

"You okay?" he inquired as soon as his voice returned, rolling over to stand up-halfway with a concerned look on his face, reaching out to pluck her from the ground.

"Marvelous," she sneered, pushing away his hand as he reached out to aid her. Breathing hard, she gathered herself onto her hands and knees, swallowing panic and forcing out in her calmest tone: "What... what's going to happen to us?"

"It'll be okay. We got into this mess, we'll get out of it," he reassured her. No, Raylien thought, I got us into this mess. You're getting us out. Not me. Her lip curled at the thought and she stood quickly, his gloved hands aiding her despite her silent protests.

"Thank you, Leon," Raylien told him, her green eyes seeking out his blue ones, but he'd already turned away. "Are you alright?" she asked again for what seemed the second time in only five minutes.

"Fine," he replied after pausing for a second, deluding the shock he still had at her concern.


	2. Can I not touch?

**Can I not touch?**

**Chapter Two**

The rain outside was a pain in the ass, a big one at that. The second they stepped outside, rain washed both of their bodies. Raylien pulled her lips into a snarl and silently pulled her brunette- black as it was wet- braid loose, allowing it to clean out the kinks in her mane.

Silently, she followed after Leon, who was severly disappointed of the darkness and rain. Or, at least, he acted like it, with that little pout on his attractive lips and eyebrows drawn, shoulders hunched and gun poised before him.

"_¡A por él!_" someone shouted, causing Raylien to nearly jump out of her skin.

"Leon! What- who-?" she began, clutching at the front of her blouse in panic. Suddenly, a gun-shot rang clear in the rain-filled air and she screeched, instantly falling to her knees to try and get out of harms way when she realized... Leon was shooting them. The people.

"Leon!" Raylien shouted and he shouted nonsense in reply, telling her to shush. She could barely see him through the rain and darkness, could only hear the chaos. Bullet after bullet flew from his gun, she heard bodies collapsing to the ground. Chill caused goosebumps to race up her limbs and she whimpered, tears washed away from the rain. She knew they were mindless, they had stolen her from her life, she _knew _it was stupid to feel this way but she did- she felt bad. Bad for those dying. Bad for the one killing them.

"Raylien," someone said to her, soft and concerned and she realized she was crouched in the mud and the gunshots had stopped. Mud soaked her legs and shoes and an oddly warm hand was placed on her arm. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Through the darkness and rain, Raylien saw Leon's face illuminated by a flashlight he had strapped to his chest strap. She blinked away the tears, grateful for the rain that disguised them. Why was she even crying? Hiding her disgust at herself, Raylien nodded and stood up with his help. "Are you going to ask me if I am alright every time I take a breath?" she asked, a serious expression on her face.

Leon's eyes narrowed, he couldn't tell if she was jesting with him or not. Raising an eyebrow, he decided she was doing both: kidding and legit. After a seconds silence, he asked, "Are you alright?" A grin tugged his lips up as he quickly asked her if she was alright again, before she could reply.

"If you're going to do that, I'm just going to have to hold my breath until I pass out," Raylien poked back, 'testing the waters' of his humor. His grin grew until he turned away from her, continuing down the dark path. He said nothing over the roaring rain, but she decided it was a conversation that broke the ice between them.

If having a near-death experience and jumping out a window didn't do that enough.

Silently, Raylien followed after him, gasping and jumping when something touched her foot. A screech abruptly tore from her lips and she leapt away from the tombstone, colliding into another and throwing a fit for just a few seconds in her horror at grazing a wet, muddy grave.

Leon had spun around, gun already pointed towards whatever she was braving off when he saw it was only a tombstone. His eyebrows drew together but a smirk brought his lips up. "Next time, save the scream for a time you actually need it," he said, completely serious though his grin made her feel less embarassed.

When they arrived at a small encloser leading down, Raylien instantly began to wring out her clothes, pulling off her sash to rid it of excess water when she realised her white blouse was totally see-through and clinging to her skin. Leon had already leapt down the open hole in the ground and she blushed, hoping it was at least dark down there. Retying her sash and trying to... cover herself up as best as she could, Raylien climbed down the ladder despite Leon's offered arms. No way was he catching her like this.

Much to her luck, it was dark. Leon stopped shortly while she ran after him, kicking a door in without hesitation. She followed him suit, looking at the man standing between two raging blue fires that set about a beautiful yet errie glow on the place. She realized she was standing in water, not that it mattered much. She was already drenched. Leon seemed to not be hostile to the man, so Raylien decided to not be, either.

Infact, he approched the man and shuffled through the contents of his belongings, and though the man attempted to make small-talk, Leon said nothing. Once Raylien saw the guns and health kits the man had, she stepped forward. Instantly, her fingers went to a dagger he had and she plucked it up in her grip. Leon looked up from his bargaining, peering up at her from under his wet hair, which was plastered to his scalp.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a gruff voice, eyes narrowed in a flinty yet curious way.

"I'm just... _observing_. Can I not touch?" Raylien snorted at her own retorical question, placing it back down. "I'm not going to slice any fingers off." She turned away, stepping into the somehow warm water. It warmed her chilled feet and she wriggled her toes, sighing as feeling gradually returned to them.

Once the man- who Raylien realised as they traded was a merchant- and Leon were done bargaining, Leon led her down through the cave tunnel. It sloped up and she ducked to dodge a few over-hanging rocks before it opened into a large cavern. Feeling as if she could actually take a breath now, she waddled her legs through the water, trying to revive warmth into them. Leon and her walked in silence, and as they reached a ladder, he silently led her upstairs. Cool air hit her face and she sharply took a breath as they exited into a small room.

Turning to her, Leon studied her in the dim light. Her clothes had died somewhat and she'd braided her hair again, but he noticed a growing blush on her cheeks as he continued to scrutinize her. "What?" he asked her simply, watching as she diverted her eyes from his.

"What do you mean: what?" Raylien quickly bit back, trying to deflect her embarassment with annoyance. She was still on-edge about her shirt, hoping he wouldn't see ... anything she didn't want him to. But, either he didn't notice or said nothinng. Leon sighed and didn't reply, leaning onto the door.

"Be quite and stay close. Scream if you need me, but no other reason. I don't know who- _what_- will be out here," Leon demanded and she nodded. The door swung open, bringing in rain and wind. She shivered at the cold and followed him into the pounding rain.

"_!Allí est!_" was the first thing she heard, followed by an instant gunshot before Leon sped off. Raylien was on his heels at that exact moment, worrying her lower lip between her teeth and jumping at every shout and gunshot she heard. Leon was effecient. He wasted no time in downing all of the enemies he came across and ransacking all of the buildings for useful items he could find. Through the dark and rain, Raylien somehow stayed glued to him, following his trail like a lost puppy.

"Leon," she called when they stopped in a barn, her clothes soaking and hair let down once again. He turned towards her, an eyebrow rose.

"Yes?"

"Leon, where are we going? Are we going to travel all night?" she asked, breathless from their constant worry- and her constant panic. He noticed with a frown that her lower lip was bleeding due to her biting on it over and over again, and her eyes were wild with a panic he'd only witnessed in Raccoon City.

"I don't know, Raylien, I hope not." Raylien was unsatisfied with his reply, but only dropped her head after briefly nodding.

"Raylien!" Leon said suddenly, after giving her a second to compose herself. "Move!" Instantly, Raylien had flattened herself out on the ground infront of Leon's feet, and a dead man- no, a dead Gando- fell just beside her. She slapped a hand onto her mouth to swallow a scream and rolled away from the blood pooling out of his head, repulsed at his lifeless eyes looking at her.

"You alright?" Leon inquired, bending a hand down to help her up. She took it with shaking fingers, standing beside him with a gleam in her green eyes.

In a trembling voice, she forced a joke past her lips: "_Peachy_." Silently, then, she took the lead out of the barn before Leon instantly caught up and passed her by.


	3. First Night Down

**First Night Down**

**Chapter 3**

The rain was slowly coming to a stop, but that didn't make either of the pair feel any better. To be totally honest, Raylien was even more on edge. Now that the rain was dying, it meant silence.

Silence between them scared her. She wasn't sure why, but Raylien was on her toes the entire time around Leon. He didn't seem to notice, too busy shooting the heads off of former men and keeping her safe behind him. It aggravated her, how she was being treated like a baby. Of course, in a way, she was. Raylien wasn't sure how to kill those kidnapping fuckers, just that she needed to avoid them and stick to Leon. That was a lesson learned in only a few minutes. Her guard was on, constantly, and when the silence- heavy and awkward- finally settled between them, she almost felt as if the cool air was too full of tension to breath.

Leon poked at the fire he'd stocked in the fireplace, shifting beside her on the rug they'd dragged downstairs to place before the fire. Raylien glanced up at him, almost having a heart-attack when she realized he was already looking at her. Instantly, her eyes diverted to the fire and she caught her breath, a tremble to her hands.

Why was she so damned scared of this man? He'd come for her, to protect and save her. Rescue her. However, seeing him shoot off so many heads... murder so many people- even if they weren't _actually _people- was unsettling.

"What's wrong with you?" Leon asked, an almost accusing tone to his voice. The only awkwardness he felt was her, he was at ease with the silence and basking in the warmth of the fire. He had been studying her, looking at the curves of her face and twinkling in her eyes from the fire. She looked fearful, but something in the light of her green eyes told him she was only inexperienced. Her clothes were still drying, along with her braided hair. He'd meant to ask why she'd taken it down, but the thought evaded him later on and he ignored it now that it'd only seem creepy to remember that fact.

"Nothing is wrong," her voice reeked with the stench of lies and he narrowed his blue eyes at her. She was deliberately avoiding his eyes and, damn it, it was now putting him on edge.

"I'm not stupid," Leon told her, an annoyed tone seeping into his voice. "What's wrong with you? Did you get hurt?" He had leaned forward now, studying her face once again. She did look pale, but there was color to her cheeks. Why?

"Can you not stare at me as if I am a mysterious child, please," Raylien growled suddenly, her sharp green eyes meeting his and he was taken aback at the mixture of emotions reflecting in them.

"I do no such thing..." Leon insisted slowly, unsure suddenly of what she thought of him. Not that he cared much, she was only his subject, but he didn't want to travel uncomfortably with her. Who knew how long it'd take to escape this place?

But she was so much more than just a subject. She was a human being, a person with emotions and quirks and things that annoyed her just as much as it may annoy him. They both had feelings and fears and all of the rational things in life, along with the irrational. However, Leon chose not to see it that way. He didn't fear failing the mission, he feared caring. He trusted in his abilities to keep her safe and return her home, however, he did not want to care about her- in any way, shape, or form. She was a subject and that would be it, since their time was limited and he couldn't have _another _friend torn from him. He was too damaged already.

Period. End of discussion.

Maybe that was what put Raylien off, the fact he seemed to hide from her by fulling putting himself out there. It made no sense, and the fear factor that hung around them only put pressure on the air.

Raylien wanted to snap back that he did, indeed, that he had the second he saw her and hadn't stopped. She felt like she was being compared to a five-year-old who couldn't talk, who needed to be pitied and protected and- damn it, she did need that, but she didn't want it. With her lightning eyes on the fire, she stood up and walked to the other side of cabin, pacing back and forth beside a table.

"So, Leon, you're a secret agent come here to rescue me. I don't know how to take that, honestly," she began, aware of his trained eyes resting on her, though she did not look back. "I don't know if I should like the sound of that or not. I don't like the sound of someone's life treasured over mine; I don't _care_ that I'm the president's daughter." Her eyes now tackled his and he almost squirmed under the intensity of them. Almost. "You're someone's son, doesn't matter if they're the damned president or not. So, listen: I don't care if I'm your subject and this is your mission, I don't want you dying for me. It's equal tow here, got it-" she was cut off by Leon standing, a fire burning in his eyes as he glared at her.

"I'm in charge here, not you, I don't care about your standing back in the United States. We're not in the United States anymore, and I have the gun here, so you listen to me. I understand that you want to help, and you can, but I expect you to listen to me, whatever I say. End of discussion."

"And what if I say no?" Raylien threatened, a her eyes narrowed and dangerous as she set one hand on her hip, leaning on her left foot. "What would you do, Mister Agent Man?" she almost whispered, her voice scratchy and lips a teasing, angry grin. "Please, tell me," she snapped, throwing her hands in the air and blanking the expression on her face, leaning back on her heels.

Leon's expression tightened into anger at being challenged, his eyes lit on fire and he stalked towards her, shoving the table between them out of the way and sending it skidding creakily across the floor. Fear flashed into her eyes but he didn't stop until he stood right before her, looking down at her, one hand tight around her wrist and lifting it, barely turning it back- not enough to hurt, but intimidate. Raylien's green eye twitched and an anger fumed up in her like an explosion.

"Let GO of me, asshole!" she screeched at the top of her lungs, slamming her shoulder against his chest with as much force as she could muster, twisting her arm further in the process. A pained squeak then passed her lips and he instantly released her, swaying only a tiny bit. The anger dropped from his face instantly, like he'd drop a hot potato- or whatever that childhood game was. Respect, then concern quickly masked his features and he took another step towards her, this time not intimidating. She curled her lip at him like a cat and backed away against the wall, rubbing her wrist with a strained expression marring her pretty little features.

Leon let out a dragged sigh and took another step towards her, effectively leaving her no space to run to except into the wall. He looked defeated. "Stop it. I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she declared, her green eyes meeting his now soft blue ones. She saw regret, but, nonetheless, jerked her arm away when he reached to see her wrist. "I said: I'm fine." He looked from her wrist to her eyes and they made eye-contact, Raylien trying to unsettle him and Leon trying to still her anger. He sighed again when nothing came-forth of their showdown and walked away, back towards the fire, silently sitting down. She watched him for the longest time, the way his posture was perfectly straight, the way his hair swayed when he made the slightest movement. Sliding down to the cold, unforgiving wooden floor, she curled her legs against her body, trembling only slightly as her fingers rubbed at her wrist. The rest of her adrenaline- the only thing keeping her on her feet the whole day- had been sapped from their argument and she fell quickly into a dark, deep, and cold slumber.


	4. We Could Try to be Friends

**We Could Try to be Friends**

**Chapter 4**

Sunlight was falling across her face, giving little warmth to the chilled air. Her green eyes fluttered open for a second before she abruptly sat up with a start, looking around at her surroundings crazily. It took a second before she realized where she was, and with it came confusion: she had fell asleep by the bookshelf, not by the fire. Pinching her eyes into a confused look, Raylien looked around again, seeking out Leon. He wasn't there, however, and panic began to flutter behind her breast.

"Leon?" she whimpered out in a soft, scared voice. Noise from upstairs startled and and she was instantly at her feet, turning to hide beneath the table that had been put back in place before seeing a shiny object sitting atop it.

A knife. Gently, she reached down to pluck it up, turning around to watch her back when the noise from upstairs scared her again. She ducked under the table, holding the knife handle like a vice.

_One minute, two minutes, three..._ it became apparent that the sound upstairs was footsteps and she wondered what was up there and where Leon was. Suddenly, relief washed over her and she let out an annoyed sigh. Of course he had gone upstairs to look around for useful items, God, her own stupidity killed her sometimes. Sighing, she crawled out from under the table and headed upstairs. Slowly, carefully.

What if it _wasn't _Leon? She couldn't go charging upstairs like a Gando, shrieking his name. No. So, silently, Raylien made her way up the stairs and turned upon reaching the top, her knife held out to be swung, knuckles white under the pressure on the handle. Surely he left it there for her, the knife. For exactly the purpose, more than likely, to make her feel secure while she looked upstairs for him. Gently prying open the first door she came across, she glanced around. Empty. No signs of Leon, well, none to her untrained eyes. Entering the room and pushing open the second door slowly, she let out a slow sigh of relief when she saw Leon, leaning over the counter to dig in cabients.

"Goodmorning," he said simply the second she stepped into the room and her eyes widened, the same word on the tip of her tounge.

"Goodmorning... how'd you know I was there?" I was a stupid question, really. He was an agent: of course he could've heard her.

Leon brushed off her question, pulling something out of the cabient and turning to her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," she paused. To be honest: she did sleep better than when she was captured. Leon, just being there, had calmed her. She was trusting him, slowly, even after their disagreement. It had been unexpected and both of them were angry for no reason. She was only being caring, then just a plain bitch. Leon had been pushy and too easily angered, but they had been running through rain and seeing enemies fall to their feet every five steps. It was expected. "Either I knew exactly where to go when I slept-walked, or... well- thank you. For moving me. It was pretty cold on the floor," she explained with a wry grin. "Did _you_ sleep well?"

His eyes flashed for a second. He hadn't slept at all, well, besides maybe an hour or two. Why was she so concerned about him? Didn't she understand she was the top priorety here?

"Fine," he uttered, the lie forigen on his lips. It tasted like dirt in his mouth. The little he actually had sucumbed to sleep was full of varing nightmares and was light and he was constantly jerking awake every few minutes. Quickly, he diverted the direction of the conversation before she could pin him a liar. "Hey, listen, I'm sorry about last night..."

"No. Don't be. I pushed you to it. I just... I don't- no, I'm not going to start that again. I was out of line, you're right. You're in charge here and I shouldn't have tried to mess with that." She paused for a second, taking a slow breath, eyes flickering closed as she assessed her thoughts. "Listen, though: I understand that I couldn't protect myself like you could protect me, I just don't want to be an annoying tag-along. I want to defend myself so you don't have to look over your shoulder constantly. I can't- I _won't_ be a deadweight. This knife," she turned the blade in her hands, watching it glitter against the sunlight falling in through an open window, "can I have it? Will you teach me to use it propely? I don't need to be an expert at it, I ju-"

"I get it. Yes, you can have it. That's actually what I was planning on doing, giving it to you. I'll teach you. Just stop rambling," he chuckled, watching her as she formed a little shocked 'o' with her mouth then smirked.

"Sorry. I ramble a lot. You'll see," Raylien dismissed, smirking over at him. "Can... we be friends? I know you don't ask friends to be your friends, but I just wanted to make it offical."

He chuckled again at her rambling. "...if you don't talk so much, maybe." Fear flashed in his gaze and she studied his expression for a second, but brushed it off.

She rose an eyebrow at him and turned to a side, smiling coyly. "We'll see about that, Leon."

All serious now, Leon walked closer to her, holding out what he fished out from the cabinet to her. "Here, I don't know why they were there, but have these. I guess when Las Plagas took over, they stopped eating _actual _food... who knows what they eat. If they do."

Raylien glanced down, suprised to see a can of peaches held in his dirty hand. In just a few days, even after all that rain last night, dirt and blood caked his hands. It washed away, leaving his hand stained brown and red. Gently, she placed her hand over the can, pulling it from his grip, glancing up to his eyes to see him already looking at her.

"Thank you," she mumbled, smiling. Man, he sure was attractive. She hadn't really noticed before. His dirty blonde hair was illuminated from the rays of light, his blue eyes sparkled down at her. His face looked chisled, so sculpted. Stubble had begun to poke his chin and cheeks, a slighty darker shade than his actual hair. Leon's soft blue eyes quickly diverted and he cleared his throat, taking a step away from her and smiling polietly before ducking past her.

Oh, man. When did she become a nice sight to his eyes? Yesterday and last night, she had been nothing but a subject and, well, slightly annoying. She hadn't really done anything to be annoying, just the fact she was always on his heels like a lost puppy rubbed his nerves the wrong way. Even though he had ordered her to do just that.

He hadn't really changed the way he thought about her: she was a subject. Just a pretty subject, one with the guts to challenge him- which annoyed him even more but he also respected- one with concern for himself, one who wanted to help, to learn. And she wanted to be friends. He had wanted to say no, it was on the tip of his tounge, but he didn't want to burn any bridge of them getting along. If she saw it a friendship; fine. It just didn't carry the same meaning for him, she was only... _there _for him.

Rubbing his temples as he walked down-stairs, Raylien slowly followed. The tip of her newly named knife- Fang, she'd call it- toyed lightly against the top of the lid of the can of peaches. Standing there for a few seconds, she untied the sash from her neck and made a little pocket of some sort on her hip. Securing it against the belt loop of her skirt, Raylien dropped the peaches into the pocket and quickly followed after Leon, pondering with the idea of asking for a knife sheath.

However, the second she got downstairs, he threw one at her. Clumbsily, yet successfully, she caught it. He only gave a curt nod, seemingly distracted, his eyes cloudy. She shrugged it off, clasping the sheath to her thigh, slipping the knife inside. Now, all she had to do was reach down, flip the clip up, and yank it out.

Feeling more secure, Raylien walked over to the dead fire, throwing some of the ashes it made ontop to ensure it died. She folded up the blankets they'd slept on and brought them over to Leon, setting them on the table where he was messing with his weapons and ammo.

"What do you have those for?" he inquired, peering up at her from under his lashes.

"Well, if one of us gets hurt, we'll need bandages. Have any of those strapped to you?" she asked in stride, raising an eyebrow with a slightly cocky grin tugging her lips. "Or if it's cold, I'd prefer not to freeze to death."

"How far do you expect to be going, Raylien? And how long? You know by the end of the day, we should be on the way home."

"It gets cold at dark, and there are a lot of enemies."

Leon became quiet then, accepting the fact that she _did _have a point.

Perhaps Leon did have a bit too much faith in that chopper being there later that day. Because, as most people think, once you make plans, something messes them up. That applied here.


	5. They Can't Take You

**They Can't Take You**

**Chapter 5**

Oh, how she wanted to give up. Just stop running, lay down, and _give up_. The only thing that kept her legs moving was Leon, she wouldn't let him fail his mission. Not for herself, and not for him. It wouldn't be fair if he failed for her own problems, and it wouldn't be fair for herself to just roll over and die.

She didn't want to die.

Morning had long faded and they'd taken no breaks, not one. Leon was a machine, it seemed, as he kicked in doors and fought through crowds. He told her more times than one to wait, hide. She refused to follow his command each time, following him silently despite his growls of disaproval. She didn't care, she wanted to help.

Not that she ever really did.

The knife on her thigh was useless to her, she hadn't used it even never gave her the opportunity to. Every time she began to charge an enemy or turned to defend herself against one that had snuck up on her, he shot it before she could. Many times that ignited anger inside her, and after he was done shooting the Gandos down Raylien would stomp her feet and swear at him in a childish, quiet way. He often chuckled at her little outbursts, but he also got mad, too.

_He _came here to protect _her. _Save _her._ However, he was growing more and more suspicious every second if she'd ever listen. He figured not.

"L-Leon," Raylien called in a breathless splutter, holding her hand out in desperation. "I can't, damn it. We've been running... for h-hours."

He spun around, panting hard, eyes narrowed. Swallowing once, he took a step towards her, bending down to her slumped form. She had fallen to the ground, legs splayed out, arms trembling as they supported her weight. Her head hung in shame and her chest heaved with each breath. Leon slowly released his breath, closing his eyes just a moment to slow his heart rate.

"Alright, come on," he urged with gritted teeth, and at her bewildered expression, scowled. "We can't waste time, Raylien. A second late and the chopper could retreat or get over-whelmed. We have to be there. Early."

"...right," was all she said, dragging herself to her trembling feet. Her hand dropped down to Leon's face as an offering and he grasped it, pulling himself up with her assistance. "Just... can we take breathers like this, at least? You're going to kill me if we keep running like this."

He said nothing.

* * *

It was only a few hours later they came to a stop at a rickety bridge, after having dealt with the merchant. Clouds had rapidly formed over-head and droplets of rain began to assault their faces. Wordlessly, Raylien undid her braid and stepped closer to Leon. The day was ending, and with the cloudy sky, it was nearing pitch black.

Her eyes bulged so huge it was almost comical when she saw the bridge. It was worn and old, looked like it'd break any second. She gulped. "We aren't... _seriously _crossing that, are we? Are you crazy?"

Leon didn't reply, instead, pulling out his device he seldom used to talk to the lady. She never listened much, not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable, but she wasn't about to walk off in these conditions. Her eyes grew impossibly wider when she heard of the helicopter crashing.

"Shit!" Leon snarled into his breath, clenching his fist tight, shoving the talking device back into his pocket. He slapped a hand to his face, groaning silently. After a second or two, he sighed, rolled his shoulders, and turned towards her. He looked almost sorry for his outburst. "Looks like we gotta' keep moving, sweetheart. There's been a... _delay _with the helicopter. It may be another day or two."

Her heart stopped in her chest. No way. She wouldn't last another day or two. Just as she opened her mouth to squeak a protest, the shout of numerous Gandos stopped her.

"...shit," was all he said. She froze the second she saw panic- _fear_- in his eyes. She'd hadn't seen that, and, suddenly, she froze. Just froze. "Run! Hurry!" Leon hissed, grasping her wrist and dragging her with all the force he could muster. Finally, she found her legs and began to sprint alongside him, falling over them both.

Their escape, they released, nearing closer, was filled with Gandos, as-well.

They were trapped.

They were _dead_.

"Quick! In that-!" the wood beneath Leon's left foot gave way, sending him spiraling to the ground. His hands rushed up beneath him and the gun he had been grasping flew forward as he collapsed. Raylien, who had began to run to the cabin, spun around, gasping. Leon was on three's, trying to yank his foot from the wood beneath him, growling and hissing.

"Go, Raylien! Hide in that cabin! Now! I'll be there in a second!" Leon urged instantly, struggling to wrench his foot free. Raylien stood for a second, frozen again. Her breath was quick in her throat.

Every second was precious.

Panic fluttering behind her breast, Raylien swept down for the gun he'd dropped, throwing it over at Leon. It clattered on the wood before him and he instantly grabbed it, struggling with his leg harder than before. Raylien ran back to him quickly, watching as the first row of Gandos took step onto the bridge.

"Up, Leon, up!" she encouraged, hooking her arms with his and pulling. He slid his other leg up underneath him with her help, though his boot was still caught. "Come on, Leon... t-they're closing in," Raylien whimpered, dropping down onto her hands and knees. She hit at the rotten wood with her fists, pulling out her knife to slash at it. Finally, he broke way, lodging himself out of the wood. He almost fell over her, catching his balance at the last second. Taking his fall in stride, Leon grabbed the back of her clothes, wordlessly pulling her onto his back and breaking off into a sprint at the cabin. She clung to his shoulders, allowing him to carry her to the cabin. Once there, the door was kicked in and he waved the gun around, landing it on...

...Luis.

"Luis!" Leon gasped. Raylien slid off his shoulders just as he was tossed a crow-bar to seal the door shut.

"Small world, aye?" the Spainard called, walking foward saucily, fingertips held to his belt loops. "Well... I see that the president's equipped his daughter with ballistics, too."

Her face ran pale, then flushed with color. Quickly, she spun towards him, a snarl on the tip of her tongue. She swallowed it quickly, eyes narrowed. _Don't... _she warned herself.

"They can't shoot, if that's what you're hinting at," Raylien joked, though her voice dripped with venom and her eyes were daggers. Luis ignored the threatening aura she was giving off, grinning cheekily at her. He looked at Leon, then, who was pushing bookshelves in-front of windows and ransacking the room quickly. His eyes were wild and she swore she saw a shake to his fingertips, saw that the color had drained from his face, but she said nothing.

"Is she... ? You know... ?" Luis asked, his question hanging heavily in the air. A bit of Leon's usual calm physic returned and he nodded, releasing a slow, steady breath.

"Don't worry. She's cool," he assured. Raylien looked down at the ground at this.

"My name is Raylien Graham. Who're you?" she asked, eyes flinty towards him. Clearly Leon wasn't concerned if he was an enemy or not, so she decided it was alright to regard him as an ally. However, his first impression for her was not that great and she wasn't about to give him a warm welcome.

"Luis. Luis Sera. Pleasure, little lady," he introduced himself, holding out a hand to her.

"No time! Raylien, upstairs, now!" Leon demanded, not even wasting a second to rush over to the window he left open. She swallowed, now was not the time for disobedience. Quickly, she spun on her heels and darted up the stairs. Glancing around the room, she took refugee in a large closet, pulling it shut tight. There was a fraction of a crack for her to peer through, and as she fell into silence to wait, panic and worry sickened her stomach.

The first gun shot blistered the air and she leaned back against the closet, taking a deep breath. _Do __**not**__ ruin your cover, Raylien. Calm. Quiet. Collected._

She was none of those things.

Leon was in the same condition for the most part, Luis was the only one with sanity still in his veins. Leon was popping off heads like his life depended on it- and, well, it did. Luis was clapping their knees with bullets as they entered the cabin, using his knife to slash through their neck and send them to their deaths. Only one window was being defended at this time, the other two sealed by bookshelves which were quickly giving way. Leon backed up towards the bottom of the staircase as one of the shelves finally crumpled and Gandos began pushing and shoving their way into the cabin. He hurled a grenade, watching with a slightly satisfied grin as they danced with flames.

"Catch!" Luis shouted, tossing ammo at his feet, spinning around just in time to kick away a Gando behind him. Leon instantly reloaded his weapon and popped a few heads off, shooting down an enemy behind Luis just as it began to charge him.

"Up the stairs!" Luis demanded, knifing down another Gando in-front of him. Wordlessly, Leon sprinted up the steps, waving his gun around just as a window shattered and a Gando began to crawl inside.

Raylien flinched as the window cracked and fell, watching in terror as it began to clamber into the room. Leon kicked it down, shoving the ladder back to the ground just as another window burst in. Luis came up the stairs, now, and Raylien listened with growing panic as the last window shattered. She shuddered inside the closet, eyes glued to the scene of Leon and Luis, running back and forth frantically to push ladders down and pop heads all while watching the staircase as enemies plowed their way up.

However, they were starting to slack. Leon was tiring fast, the lack of sleep for the past few days draining him. Luis was in better shape, but his reflexes and skills weren't as good as Leon's and he couldn't make up for Leon's slacking. Six had managed to crawl in the windows, another two stumbling up the stairs. Luis had pinned, back against the corner by three of them. Leon was in the center of the room, spinning around frantically to shoot them down, but he couldn't maneuver fast enough and a grenade wouldn't work. Luis was too occupied to help. He was trapped.

Raylien tensed. White and black flashed in her vision and her knuckles tightened, going to the knife at her thigh. Leon suddenly ran at one of the Gandos, pushing it back out the window, though the other four were instantly behind him. Without thinking, Raylien slammed the door to the closet open, nailing one of the enemies in the side just as Leon spun around. One had tackled him to the window, pushing his body out slowly. Raylien used the surprise to shove the Gando she had hit back, running him over to the staircase and shoving him as hard as she could. He fell over the railing, wailing something in Spanish. Luis had freed himself and shot a head off one of the Gandos surrounding Leon while Raylien turned, throwing herself at the enemy pushing Leon out the window. Blood splattered on her outfit as Luis shot the remaining Gando, running towards the staircase to shoot down the few enemies coming up.

Raylien grabbed the Gando's shoulders, yanking him back with as much force as she could, ripping his dirty fingers from Leon's neck. Leon fell to the ground, grasping at his neck and coughing. Raylien's knife slid from her thigh and she stabbed it deep and hard right into the man's collar bone, without thinking or even knowing what she was doing.

"_No! _You can't have him! I won't allow it!" she spat into the Gando's face, stabbing him again in his neck despite his withering. Repeatedly, her knife slid in and out of the enemies' flesh, over and over, even long after he was dead. Blood drenched her white t-shirt, and she suddenly became aware of strong arms pulling her up.

"Get off of me, bastard!" she snarled, swinging the knife at her attacker when she realized it was only Leon. She was panting hard, tears slipping down her face like a waterfall.

"Hey, calm down, sweetheart," Leon murmered, breathing hard himself. There were red lines across his neck and a crazy look in his eyes, though his tone was soft. "We're safe now. They retreated."

"...they... retreated?" Raylien whispered to herself, looking down. She was splayed out like a rag-doll on the ground, her head resting limply across Leon's lap, limbs curled in on her body. Her arm was strewn across the ground, the knife limp in her grip, slick with blood. She looked up at him, then, pupils fine points on his face, voice serious. "They can't take you, Leon. I won't have it happen."

Leon nodded, eyes slightly cloudy. If only he could tell if she meant that as in he was her friend, or she refused to be left alone to die. He sighed, looking up as Luis cleared his throat. "Touching, really, but we have more pressing matters. What do we do now?" he slurred in his Spanish accent, smoothing out the crinkles in his shirt and wiping blood from his face.

"The bridge we crossed to get here is out, so I guess we have no choice but to keep moving," Leon replied, helping Raylien to her feet.

An idea seemed to dawn on Luis and he nodded his head, swinging his arms while he walked downstairs. Over his shoulder, he called, "Actually, I forgot something. You guys go on ahead."

"Luis?" Leon called, but once he left the cabin, shrugged. Turning to Raylien, he sighed deep in his chest. "I already know the answer, but I feel like I gotta' ask, anyway. You okay?"

"No."

"Right. ... C'mon, let's keep moving." He walked past a slack-jawed Raylien, ignoring her squeak of protest and exiting the cabin. Defeated, she followed him, still trying to catch her breath.


End file.
